KNOWN for his stinging one-line put-downs and comic quips Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan has once again created a stir amongst supporters.

KNOWN for his stinging one-line put-downs and comic quips Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan has once again created a stir amongst supporters.

But many fans feel there is not much to laugh about after Strachan told a reporter he would “take drugs and drink and smoke” to tackle the pressure of the job.

The line came near the end of a live interview with BBC Tees reporter David Macmillan immediately following Boro’s 2-2 home draw to Portsmouth on Saturday in which Strachan gave short shrift to questioning.

The boss was clearly upset Boro had thrown away a two goal lead - the second from a needless penalty given away three minutes from the end by midfielder Barry Robson, subsequently sent off for violent conduct.

A short time later Strachan gave similarly curt replies to a reporter from BBC Radio 5 Live. The comments provoked a huge internet response.

Many fans were left angered by the boss’s seemingly flippant answer given the team’s current struggles, but surely we knew what we were getting when we appointed the man who once, when asked for a quick word, famously replied: “Velocity”.

On Gazette sports writer Anthony Vickers’ Untypical Boro blog
, Ian Gill wrote: “Strachan’s post match interview was a shocker. He’ll be struggling to get much support by being disrespectful to the interviewer and the fans.”

Simon in the USA added: “To have your own supporters complaining about your rudeness and disrespectful interview with a national sports talk show is bad enough. But to have supporters of rival clubs (Derby and Coventry) bringing this to light shows a total lack of respect for the club you are representing, and more importantly its supporters.”

Strachan’s latest quote had echoes of a famous one from many seasons ago at another club when he was asked: “Bang, there goes your unbeaten run. Can you take it?”

He replied: “No, I’m going to crumble like a wreck. I’ll go home, become an alcoholic and maybe jump off a bridge. Umm, I think I can take it, yeah.”

The Gazette’s Boro writer Eric Paylor spends more time than most interviewing the boss and is probably in the best position to understand Strachan’s public relations techniques.

“To be honest, I only ever get the other side of Gordon Strachan, and it’s a side that wouldn’t disappoint most fans,” said Eric.

“He always provides the Gazette with a one-on-one interview both before and after games.

“He tends to give more considered and plausible answers to questions. Even though these answers are sometimes off the record, it’s very helpful because it gives a special insight into situations.

“However, I have witnessed Gordon’s more brusque style of answering when a microphone is thrust in front of him.

“I think it’s fair to say he doesn’t suffer fools gladly, so questions do need to be realistic. However, even when the questions are mundane, Gordon might be advised to reply with mundane straight-forward answers because he needs to bear in mind the radio interviews are relayed directly to fans with radios switched on.

“They believe Gordon’s answers are directed at them, rather than the interviewer.”

On the radio show immediately after Strachan’s interview David Macmillan’s colleague Alastair Brownlee said: “Gordon Strachan is as he is. He can be a prickly character to interview. I just think that, just occasionally, we all need to take a step back.

“This isn’t done for a national audience or for national television - this is the opportunity the manager has to speak to supporters of his club.

“If that’s how you want to address fans it is entirely Strachan’s responsibility, but I think he needs to revisit that a bit.”

David Macmillan: “Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan, how do you feel after that result and the performance?”

Gordon Strachan: “I don’t feel too great, I’m not in a happy mood but... I think if you have drawn a game or if you get beat in a game, if you feel you have done everything you can to make sure that doesn’t happen then you are OK. But that will be the easiest goal anyone scores this year, considering the ball was on the halfway line nearly, and from that halfway line they get a goal.”

DM: “What were the things that disappointed you in the aspects of the team’s performance?”

GS: “The things that were positive, again they worked hard, again we made chances and looked comfortable in the first half - didn’t think there was too much of a threat, a couple of long distance hits that Jason turned one away and that was it really, so it’s disappointing to be 2-0 up and let that lead go but as I say it was self inflicted. If it had been a great Kanu goal or a great goal by Nugent running away then you go that’s fine - you have to deal with that. They were better than us at that point but to get the equaliser the way they did was a body blow really.”

DM: “What was your view of the incident?”

GS: “I never seen anything to be honest with you and I think you ask most people in the stadium they would say the same thing.”

DM: “Have you spoken to Barry Robson about what happened and what has been his response?”

GS: “Not interested.”

DM:“You talk about the positives that could be taken, do you feel you created enough chances where you could have won this game or perhaps should have won this game?”

GS: I think I said that in the previous answer.

DM: “Does it feel like, although you have gained a point, does it feel more like a defeat?”

GS: “Yeah, yeah.”

DM: “What about yourself? Do you feel like you are under more pressure now?”

GS: “Every manager is under pressure.”

DM: “How do you deal with that?”

GS: “Take drugs and drink and smoke and get through it that way.”

DM: “Obviously now you move onto the next game what sort of things will you be hoping to apply on the training ground up until then?”

GS: “I hope that nobody goes and gives a penalty away in the box when the ball is 50 yards away from the box.”

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